STATE
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
A9
Poll: Oregonians split on Greater Idaho
By Dylan Jefferies
EO Media Group
Imagine Bend being Oregon’s east-
ern-most city, a short drive from Red-
mond, Idaho.
“Greater Idaho,” the concept of
transferring parts of Southern and East-
ern Oregon to Idaho — making Red-
mond, Idaho, a reality — is gaining trac-
tion in some rural areas.
The idea is a very long shot — mov-
ing the state borders would require the
approval of the Oregon and Idaho legis-
latures, as well as Congress.
According to Mike McCarter, the
chief petitioner of Move Oregon’s Bor-
der, a nonprofit advocating for Greater
Idaho, the change would give rural
Oregon counties a longed-for Repub-
lican-led legislature by leaving liberal
strongholds like Portland and Eugene
— and even Bend and Sisters — behind
in Oregon.
In May, voters in Baker, Grant,
Lake, Malheur and Sherman counties
approved ballot initiatives that require
county officials to study joining Idaho.
Union and Jefferson counties passed
similar initiatives in November of
2020.
Despite those initiatives, a slim
majority of Oregonians do not think
rural Oregon counties should be able to
leave Oregon and join Idaho even with
voter approval. And two-thirds of Ore-
gonians think it is unlikely that the move
will occur.
That’s according to recent polling
from the Oregon Values and Beliefs
Center, which asked respondents if
they think Idaho absorbing Eastern and
Southern Oregon would be positive
or negative, if they think it is likely to
happen and whether or not it should be
allowed with voter approval.
The center conducted the state-
wide survey of 1,400 Oregon residents,
selected to be demographically repre-
sentative of the state, between June 8
move there,” said Marion County res-
ident Janis Sabatula. “Why mess with
state borders that have been there for
more than 160 years?”
Supporters and opponents of the
move raised concerns that being a
part of Idaho would entail higher state
taxes and a loss of significant tax dol-
lars from Western Oregon and its met-
ropolitan counties, plus a loss of reve-
nue and jobs from Oregon’s booming
cannabis industry, which remains ille-
gal in Idaho.
Some opponents expressed sympa-
thy for residents of rural counties who
feel underrepresented.
“The rural counties feel underrepre-
sented at the state level, and technically
they’re right,” said Clackamas County
resident Hendy Appleton. “But a diver-
sity of views and values is important.”
Polling highlights
Contributed photo/Greateridaho.org
The Greater Idaho concept.
and June 14. The margin of error ranges
from 1.6% to 2.6% per question.
Survey responses
Survey responses reveal a deep rift
between Oregonians on the issue.
According to Clackamas County
resident Patti Shanek, the move would
promote separatism, discourage politi-
cal discourse and raise the cost of living
for rural residents.
“The main tax base comes from pri-
marily Democrat counties,” she said. “If
the red counties became part of Idaho,
those forming the new Idaho would
have an increasingly high cost of living
and limited access to state programs.”
But according to Deschutes
County resident Amanda Wallace, the
move would give rural Oregon con-
servatives political power they cur-
rently lack in Oregon’s legislature.
“Conservatives don’t feel like their
voices are heard in Oregon, nor do they
feel like their vote counts,” she said.
“Sadly, Portland, Salem and Eugene
make all of the decisions.”
Some respondents who oppose the
move cited concerns that breaking up
the state would discourage a diversity of
opinions, setting a dangerous precedent
for other states.
“This sets a precedent for reshaping
other states along color lines and harm-
ing the health of our democracy,” said
Multnomah County resident Margarette
Puckette.
Many argued that unsatisfied Ore-
gonians already have the option of
moving to Idaho.
“If members of these counties want
to become part of Idaho, then let them
Oregon OSHA adopts emergency rule to
protect farmworkers from extreme heat
By Sierra Dawn McClain
EO Media Group
Oregon OSHA on Thursday
adopted an emergency rule related
to employees working in extreme
heat.
The rule, which comes after a
record-setting heat wave that led to
one farmworker’s death, is intended
to protect workers from heat-related
death and illness.
The temporary rule is effective
immediately and will stay in place
for 180 days, or until a permanent
rule replaces it. The rule applies not
only to farms but to any workplace,
indoors or outdoors, where weather
could lead to potential heat dangers
for workers.
“This rule creates greater clar-
ity for employers about the specific
steps that need to be taken to protect
workers from heat stress dangers at
work,” Michael Wood, adminis-
trator of Oregon OSHA, said in a
statement. “For employees, it fur-
ther crystalizes their existing rights to
protection from heat hazards where
they work.”
The new rule will make the fol-
lowing changes to workplaces.
When the heat index is equal
to or above 80 degrees Fahren-
heit, employers are required to
provide:
• Access to sufficient shade
(specifics below).
• An adequate supply of drink-
ing water (specifics below).
When the heat index rises
above 90 degrees, all of the rules
for 80 degrees apply and, in addi-
tion, employers must:
• Ensure effective communi-
cation between an employee and
a supervisor is maintained so the
employee can report concerns.
• Ensure that employees are
observed for alertness and signs and
symptoms of heat illness and moni-
tored to determine whether medical
attention is necessary.
• Provide a cool-down rest
period in the shade of 10 minutes for
every two hours of work. These pre-
ventive cool-down rest periods may
be provided concurrently with any
other meal or rest period required by
policy, rule or law.
• Develop and implement an
emergency medical plan and prac-
tices to gradually adapt employees
to working in the heat.
Access to shade
To be sufficient, shade must:
• Be provided by any natural or
artificial means that does not expose
employees to unsafe or unhealthy
conditions and that does not deter or
discourage access or use.
• Either be open to the air or
provide mechanical ventilation for
cooling.
• At least accommodate the
number of employees on recovery
or rest periods, so that they can sit in
in the shade.
• Be located as close as practi-
cal to the areas where employees
are working.
• Shade present during meal
periods must be large enough
to accommodate the number of
employees on the meal period that
remain onsite.
Drinking water
To qualify as an adequate sup-
ply of drinking water, it must:
• Be readily accessible to
employees at all times and at no
cost.
• Enable each employee to con-
sume 32 ounces per hour.
• Be cool (66-77 degrees) or
cold (35-65 degrees).
• Drinking water packaged as
a consumer product and electro-
lyte-replenishing drinks that do
not contain caffeine (for example,
sports drinks) are acceptable sub-
stitutes, but should not completely
replace the required water.
• Employers must also ensure
that employees have ample oppor-
tunity to drink water.
All of the above require-
ments are effective immediately.
One requirement, however, does
not need to be met until Aug. 1:
training.
Training required
No later than Aug. 1,
employers must ensure
that all employees, includ-
ing new employees, super-
visory and non-supervisory
employees, are trained in the
following topics, in a lan-
guage readily understood,
before they begin work in
a heat index equal to or in
excess of 80 degrees:
• The environmental and
personal risk factors for heat
illness, as well as the added
burden of heat load on the
body caused by exertion,
clothing and personal protec-
tive equipment.
Overall, 38% of Oregonians
believe Southern and Eastern Oregon
should be able to join Idaho with voter
approval, and 34% believe the move
would be positive.
Among Oregonians living outside
of Portland and the Willamette Val-
ley, 44% support counties being able to
join Idaho with voter approval, while
only 37% of residents living in the
greater Portland area support counties’
ability to do so.
Oregonians older than 75 are the
most likely to say that Southern and
Eastern Oregon counties joining Idaho
would be negative (55%), and respon-
dents ages 45 to 54 are the most likely
to say the move would be positive
(40%).
More than half of Oregonians with
six-figure incomes believe the move
would be negative, while some 40%
of people with lower incomes believe
it would be negative.
Compared to urban and suburban
residents, rural residents are the most
likely to say voters should be able to
approve a county’s move to Idaho
(43%), and that a move to Idaho is
likely (32%) and would be positive
(40%).
The survey also used aggregated
data to analyze the opinions of Black,
Indigenous and other Oregonians of
color compared to the opinions of
white residents, with this clarification:
“BIPOC residents are not a monolith;
the grouping represents a wide diver-
sity of races and ethnicities.”
According to the survey, Orego-
nians of color are more likely than
white Oregonians to say that counties
should be able to join Idaho with voter
approval (42%) that it is likely (32%)
and that it would be positive (36%).
Move Oregon’s Border
According to McCarter, chief peti-
tioner of Move Oregon’s Border, a key
takeaway from the poll is that no clear
majority is in favor or opposition to the
Greater Idaho concept, because about
one-fifth of respondents expressed no
opinion.
Another takeaway, McCarter said,
is that many respondents expressed
unfamiliarity with the idea. He is confi-
dent that, as rural voters become more
informed, they will lean in favor, as
was seen during May elections when
an average of 62% of voters across
five counties voted in favor of Greater
Idaho initiatives.
“As citizens of Eastern and South-
ern Oregon, we ask that northwestern
Oregonians make a decision based on
what’s best for their part of the state,
and leave it to us to make a decision
based on what’s best for our part of
the state,” he said in a press release.
“The election results from our part of
the state indicate that we prefer to join
Idaho.”
“We are asking northwestern Ore-
gonians to examine the benefits to
northwestern Oregon of voluntarily
letting this territory go,” he said.
What went wrong? Few answers
as ‘terrifying’ heat slays 116
By Zane Sparling
Pamplin Media Group
The Oregon State Medical Examiner
released another stark tally of those who per-
ished during the historic heat wave last month.
New state figures show at least 116 people
succumbed to the harsh heat and sun that bore
down on the Pacific Northwest from June 25
to June 28.
At its peak, temperatures reached a
record-shattering 116 degrees in the Portland
metro area.
The new tally provided by the Oregon
State Police on July 7 provides no identifying
details beyond the age, gender and county of
residence of those who died — a stark listing
of demographics that offers few hints of the
human tragedy that unfolded.
A majority of the deaths — 72 — occurred
in Multnomah County, 12 were reported in
Clackamas County and nine in Washington
County.
Marion County, which hosts the state’s
Capitol as well as numerous agricultural
areas, reported 13 deaths. Two deaths each
were reported in Deschutes and Columbia
counties, plus three in Linn County.
One death each was reported in Umatilla
and Polk counties.
Most of the people who died from the heat
were over the age of 60, and the vast major-
ity were men. In the latest count, 82 of the
deceased were identified as men, compared
with 34 identified as women.
At least three of those who died were in
their 90s, 12 were in their 80s, 28 were in their
70s, 43 were in their 60s, 20 were in their 50s,
eight were in their 40s and two were in their
30s.
Officials in the state’s most populous
county, which also bore the brunt of the loss
of life, have settled in for a lengthy review of
the mass casualty event.
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